Out of the Dollhouse, Into a New Life
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Sick of her parents trying to control her, seventeen-year-old Pacifica runs away to Piedmont, where she moves in with the Pines family. There, she finds new friends, new enemies, and new love. Dipcifica and MaBill. LEAVE SUGGESTIONS IN THE REVIEWS! RATED M FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE LEMONS!
1. D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E

**This story is yet another random idea I had. I don't have an explanation. Somebody come up with one. I'm too lazy.**

* * *

 _Hey, girl, open the walls, play with your dolls._

 _We'll be a perfect family._

* * *

Chew. Swallow. Clean my mouth.

It's a routine I've perfected in the past few years, to avoid talking to my parents. They blame me for what happened to our family. For us losing our fortune. Even though it was Dad's fault.

Now I'm living in this hellhole. If I can keep holding on for another year, I can escape to college, where I can be free to be who _I_ want to be.

"Pacifica, we've been discussing your future," Mother says, putting down her fork. She hasn't been wearing much makeup lately. Too drunk to put it on.

"Yes," Father agrees. He has his phone out; he's probably texting his mistress. "We've decided to find you a husband."

"A _husband_? I'm only seventeen!" I protest, but that falls on deaf ears.

"We think Baron Marius Von Faundhauser would be a suitable match," Mother continues. She sips her glass of wine.

" _Marius_? But he _has_ a girlfriend! Grenda!"

"She's not an _heiress_ like you. I think you'll love Marius."

"I don't _want_ to get married!"

"Pacifica Elise Northwest, you're being completely irrational."

"NO, I'M NOT!" I snap. "EXCUSE _ME_ FOR NOT WANTING TO BABYSIT THE BOYFRIEND OF ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IN A LOVELESS MARRIAGE WHEN I'D _MUCH_ RATHER GO TO COLLEGE AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL WITH MY LIFE!"

"IF YOU'D RATHER BE AN OLD MAID, THEN GO RIGHT AHEAD! HOW LONG WILL YOUR BEAUTY LAST?! JUST WATCH! YOU'LL BE _BEGGING_ US TO MATCH YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH!"

I slam my fist on the table and run upstairs. Once up there, I pull out my suitcase and begin stuffing clothes into it. Only necessities, like t-shirts, jeans, shoes, socks, underwear, and the sweater Mabel made me, go in.

I finish packing and call the bus station, arranging a ticket to Piedmont, California. I have no idea where the twins live in that town, but I'll be damned before I spend another _minute_ in this place.

* * *

It's late. Most girls my age are either asleep, out on dates/fucking their boyfriend, or at a party. Me? I'm at a bus stop with a full suitcase and a heavy heart.

Will Dipper and Mabel even help me?

I left messages for Candy and Grenda, so they know where I am. Mother and Father don't know, and I doubt they care.

The bus pulls up. I hand the driver my ticket and sit in the back. It leaves Gravity Falls.

The ride to Piedmont is long and tiring. I only wake up when the bus driver yells we're there. I grab my suitcase, thank the driver, and get off the bus.

* * *

It's been hours, and I haven't figured out where the Pines family lives. I sit down on a bench outside the mall and rest a bit.

"Like, _ewwww_!" I hear a girl shriek. I look up to see a girl with dark brown hair and a fashionable outfit (the kind I stopped wearing when we moved out of the mansion) staring at me. She's flanked by a redhead and a blonde.

 _Great, the trifecta_ , I think.

"She looks like she slept on the bus!" snickers the redhead. "How lame!"

"Weirdo!" agrees the blonde. I let their snide comments roll off me. It's a tactic I learned from watching Mabel.

"Oh, God! She's not offended!" the brunette grumbles. "She's just like that weird girl with all the ugly, baggy, cheap sweaters." I snap.

"What did you say about Mabel?!" I growl.

"Oh, she _does_ speak! Yeah, Mabel's totally weird! Always playing with her stupid pig or knitting. What kind of hobby is knitting?"

"A _great_ hobby!"

"Where you from, anyway?"

"Gravity Falls."

Before any of them can give me a retort, girly squeals come from the parking lot.

"He's here, Bianca!" the blonde hisses. Bianca (the brunette) pushes me and my suitcase into the bushes. I sit up and manage to drag my bag out. A whole gaggle of girls is gathered around somebody. I sigh and head into the mall so I can avoid the bitchy ones.

"PACIFICA!"

I turn just in time to be grabbed in a hug by a girl who can be none other than Mabel.

"Mabel, you're crushing me!" I laugh.

"I missed you! What are you doing in California?!"

"I… um… it's a long story…"

"No problem. Come to our place. Just let me get us a ride." She reaches into her messenger bag and pulls out a bullhorn. " _ALL RIGHT, LADIES! IT'S TIME TO LET ME GO HOME!"_ The swarm disperses after she blares the siren, and a handsome boy I've never met is left standing by a van that says "Mystery Twins—Since 2012".

"Hey, Mabel!" he says, and puts on the hat in his hand. My heart beats faster. I'd know that hat anywhere.

Dipper.

"Pacifica?!" he adds in surprise, looking at me. I stare at the ground. Mabel puts my suitcase in the trunk.

"We can talk about why she's here when we get home! For now, let's go!"

I ride shotgun, while Mabel slides into the backseat and Dipper turns on the engine.

* * *

"We'll be home soon," he says to me.

Their house is a really nice two-story place. Mabel drags my suitcase inside while Dipper parks the van on the street and I follow Mabel.

"Who's this?" asks a woman who must be their mother once I'm inside.

"This is Pacifica Northwest!" Mabel announces, hugging me again.

"As in Preston's daughter?" their mother asks. "He never _seemed_ like the type to let his daughter travel to another state by herself…"

"Well, he and Mother don't know I'm here."

" _You ran away?!_ " Mabel gasps.

"Maybe we should let them know where you are… I'm Louise, by the way." She dials a number while Mabel and I lug my suitcase upstairs to her room.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," I say, hugging Mabel.

"You must have a _reason_ for running away! You can stay here as long as you need to."

We head back downstairs.

"Yes, hello, Priscilla," I hear Louise saying on the phone. "I was wondering if you were aware your daughter is in Piedmont." She listens. "She said she didn't tell you. Do you have any idea why she might've run away?" More listening. "Well, I don't _blame_ her! Arranging a marriage? We're in the twenty-first century!" Her face contorts in anger. "She can live with us! If you decide to be a good mother to her, she'll go home, bitch! Goodbye!" Louise slams down the phone.

"Um… Mrs. Pines?" I speak up after a moment.

"Oh, hello, Pacifica! You'll be living with us for a while, until your mother decides to actually be a good parent!"

"You know my parents?"

"I'm from Gravity Falls originally. I met Jason when he was up there visiting Stan while we were in high school, then I moved down here after we got married."

"You never told us!" Dipper butts in, looking annoyed.

"I didn't think it was important. I knew Pacifica's parents back then because we were in the same classes. Priscilla was definitely _not_ friends with me. Preston was only interested in her after she won a beauty pageant." Louise makes a disgusted face. "I'm sorry you had to live with them. Your mother is transferring you down here so you can at least have a full education."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Pines!"

"Call me Louise. Go on up and change. You look exhausted."

And so begins my new life in Piedmont.

* * *

 **This story is Dipcifica. I will be taking suggestions, but nothing too explicit. I will post a new chapter when I get five suggestions for the next chapter. NO LEMONS YET!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. First Day

**I am** _ **finally**_ **bringing y'all chapter two! I really hope you enjoy it!**

 **The requests come from unkemptherals, dbzgwuk, and SuperSonicBros123 and are as follows:**

 **"I would suggest starting off with school life, and since you made Dipper into the main girl attention, why not also make him the smartest person. But also still into mysteries." –unkemptherals**

 **"Try to put comedic/embarrass situations in future chapters like dipper accidentally walk in the bathroom while Pacifica is changing." –dbzgwuk**

 **"Do you think you could explain that big crowd of woman surrounding Dipper and his van in the next chapter?" –SuperSonicBros123**

 **As such, I** _ **will**_ **be starting off with school life, including Pacifica fitting in with her new classmates, readjusting to seeing the Pines twins, the mean girl brigade, and a couple more characters to round out the cast. Dipper will be more of a key character and some things from the first chapter will be cleared up. I will also be establishing more of Pacifica's character and this chapter will be told from a third-person point of view. The first chapter was my first real attempt to write in the first person, so please don't judge it harshly.**

* * *

"PAZ! TIME TO GET UP!"

Pacifica woke with a start at the sound of Mabel's voice. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the clock.

6:48 AM.

 _School starts in just over an hour!_ she thought excitedly. _A new beginning!_

Quickly, she got up and went into the bathroom.

It was still kind of weird for her to go into the bathroom and not have makeup or other cosmetics all over the place. Well, _hers_ , anyway. Most of the makeup belonged to Mabel, and even then, it was only some basic stuff so she was as natural as possible.

 _No makeup for you today,_ she told herself. _Stay true to your true self._

She quickly showered and started blow-drying her hair. Despite what most people thought, she _was_ a natural blonde, and her hair was incredibly thick and took a long time to dry, even _with_ a hairdryer. Once that was done, she began brushing it to get out any remaining tangles.

It was at that moment Dipper chose to walk in the bathroom.

"AGH!" he yelped, covering his eyes.

"DIPPER!" she yelled.

"I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE IN HERE!"

He went back out quickly, politely covering his eyes the whole time. She silently thanked God that her towel hadn't fallen and got dressed. Her style had changed dramatically from the days when she'd made fun of the Pines twins, and today was the first day she was able to show them just _how_ much she'd changed. Instead of an expensive skirt and top, she'd gone for a pair of denim capris and a T-shirt with Garnet from _Steven Universe_ on it. As for shoes, she'd chosen to go with a pair of purple and pink sneakers.

The blonde went into her bag to get her contacts out of habit, before remembering she'd used her last pair. That meant she had to wear her glasses, which she didn't really mind. They were a cute pair of purple "hipster" glasses that went perfectly with her new image: the pretty geek girl. She headed downstairs, where Dipper was staring at the table, a blush still on his face from the scene they'd had. Mabel was scarfing down a plate of pancakes. She finished the last bite and looked up at Pacifica.

"WHOA!" she gasped. "Look at Miss Geek-Chic!" Dipper looked up, too, and smiled.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," he remarked. "Or are they just frames?"

"No, I need them," she replied, relieved that he seemed to be over his embarrassment. "I just usually wear contacts. I used my last pair, so on go the backup glasses!"

They both started laughing. Mabel watched them interact, the gears in her matchmaker brain turning with possibilities. Dipper seemed to have an interest in the blonde, and vice versa.

"Okay, guys," Louise said with a grin. "Time for school."

"Thanks, Mom!" Mabel told her mother.

"Bye, Louise!" Pacifica called as the three went out the door.

Outside, there was a blue car idling by the curb. A boy with blonde hair that covered one eye waved from the driver's seat.

"That's my ride!" Mabel told Dipper and Pacifica. "See ya at school!" She ran towards the car.

"So…" Dipper coughed. "Should we get going?"

"We should," Pacifica replied. They got in the van and Dipper started it up.

The ride to school was silent.

When they arrived, however, a bunch of girls came over to the van, including the bitches who had tortured Pacifica outside the mall a week earlier. They were all hanging out beside the driver's side door.

"Hey, Dipper!" giggled Bianca.

"Morning, Bianca," he replied politely. Pacifica slipped out of the van, hoping to go unnoticed, but that fell through.

"Omigod, Bianca!" the blonde bitch screeched. "It's that girl from Gravity Falls!"

Bianca turned her attention to Pacifica. She had a look on her face. Pacifica knew that look. It was one she had worn years earlier, back before she'd changed for the better. A look of superiority, and it said that as soon as Dipper wasn't around, Bianca was going to make Pacifica's life Hell.

"Hey," Pacifica croaked, not understanding why her mouth was so dry.

"Welcome to Piedmont," Bianca said in a voice that oozed with poisoned honey. "I'm sorry if we didn't get off on the right foot…"

"Pacifica."

"Well, Pacifica, I'm sure you're _just going to love it here_!"

"Thanks, but I have to get to class. I'll call you later, Dipper."

"Bye!" he called as she walked away.

 _The new blonde bitch is going down!_ Bianca thought.

* * *

Pacifica walked through the halls of Piedmont High, trying to find her way around. She felt like a freshman again, only this time, nobody except Dipper and Mabel knew who she was. It felt like a _real_ clean slate, a fresh start.

"Hey, check her out!" a boy hissed to his friend.

"Ooh, think she'd hook up with me?" his friend chuckled back.

And the same assholes trying to sleep with as many girls as possible before graduation. Pacifica sighed and managed to find her way to homeroom. Unfortunately, right before the tardy bell rang, Bianca and her bitches walked into the room and surrounded Pacifica. She was trapped.

" _So_ , Pacifica," Bianca purred. "How _do_ you know Dipper? Are you two together?"

"No!" Pacifica blurted. "We're just old friends, that's all!"

"And you're from Gravity Falls? I've never heard of that place. How do we know you aren't lying?"

"It's a real place. Ask Dipper! He went there the summer we met!"

"Ooh! Isn't that sweet? You've obviously moved here to be with him, but I'd give up, sweetheart. Everyone knows I've marked him, and he's mine until I get what I want."

"He doesn't belong to you! He's his own person!" Pacifica slammed her hand down on her desk as she said this.

"Watch your mouth! I'll have you know that the Greenwich family is the most powerful in Piedmont!" Bianca's words so closely echoed the old Pacifica's it was scary.

"You won't win with threats."

"No, I'll win because I always do." She flicked Pacifica's nose. " _Ciao_ , sweetheart."

Pacifica growled. It wasn't going to be a good day.

* * *

At lunch, she sat down in the courtyard to eat and was quickly joined by Mabel and a girl she didn't recognize.

"This is Katrina," Mabel introduced. "She's one of my best friends."

"Hi," Pacifica told Katrina.

"Oh, I know you!" Katrina realized with a smile. "You're the girl who stood up to Bianca this morning!"

"What happened?" Mabel asked.

"She was getting in my face because Dipper drove me to school this morning," Pacifica sighed. "It was a little scary for me."

"Why?"

"It's just… she's so much like the old me. That both terrifies and disgusts me, to know that she treats people that way…"

"Bianca's always been like that, though. That's how I knew how to deal with _you_ back in Gravity Falls."

"She's the Queen Bee-otch," joked Katrina. The three started laughing.

"Thanks, Kat," Pacifica chuckled.

"Any time!"

* * *

After school, Pacifica got into the Mystery Twins van while Dipper ended up getting sidetracked when girls came up to talk to him. Eventually, he said goodbye and got in the van.

"So, what happened?" Pacifica inquired as he started up the van.

"What do you mean?" he replied, puzzled.

"I mean, back when we were in Gravity Falls, girls were never this interested in talking to you."

"I dunno. I'm still the same person I was."

"You mean smart and into mysteries?"

"Bingo! A few of them have asked me out before, but I usually turn them down."

"That makes sense." They sat in silence for an awkward few moments.

"So, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Anything new in Gravity Falls?"

"Well, Soos and Melody are having a baby, for one. McGucket still lives in the mansion, and he's also teaching science at Gravity Falls High on the side. Most things are still the same, though."

 _Including my parents…_

"That's nice to know." He pulled into the driveway. "See ya later. I've got homework."

"See ya."

* * *

As she read her History assignment, Pacifica's mind wandered. Why was she so defensive when it came to Dipper? It made no sense!

 _I mean, he_ **is** _really cute, even more so than before. Ugh, do I_ **still** _have a crush on him?! It's been five years already! He's still the same person, and I've changed into someone I'm proud to be. Maybe… maybe I have a chance this time…_

* * *

 **And** _ **that**_ **concludes chapter 2! I'm super-excited to see suggestions!**

 **Even though this story will be largely request-driven, I have a couple story ideas in mind myself that I will have you guys pick from for the next chapter. Story one: Pacifica gets a part-time job. Hilarity and drama ensue. Story two: Mabel makes a first attempt at matchmaking Dipper and Pacifica at the Fall Festival.**

 **Let me know which one you want to see, or just leave your own request below!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. Fall Festival

**The people have spoken. Welcome to the Fall Festival!**

* * *

"Mabel, are you sure this is a good idea?" Kat asked, playing nervously with her side ponytail. "I mean, your last couple matchmaking attempts for Dipper haven't exactly been… perfect."

"Exactly!" Mabel replied. "My problem was I wasn't looking for mutual attraction! Gabby had no interest in my brother whatsoever, Ruby was manipulative, and Penelope… well, we'll forget about Penelope. The point is, Dipper and Pacifica have enough sparks to set off a fireworks display! We have to help them!"

"Okay. I'll help, but we're forgetting something."

"What?"

"Bianca, the queen bee-otch? Has had a crush on Dipper since he got hit by puberty? Do you really think she'll loosen her grip?"

"She _has_ to, or she'll face my wrath!" Mabel made a pair of fists. "You ready?"

"Yeah… let's go."

* * *

"So… you want me to do _what_?"

"Go to the Fall Festival, bro-bro! It'll be _fun_!"

"Uh, I think we have different definitions of _fun_."

"Just for an hour! Please?" She made her puppy-dog eyes.

"Fine. Just for an hour, got it?"

"YAY!"

* * *

"Fall Festival?" Pacifica asked Mabel. "That sounds fun."

"Yeah, so you'll come?"

"Of course I will. I'd never miss out on something like that!"

"YAY! I'll see you there!"

* * *

On the day of the festival, Pacifica got up and put on her glasses, swapping her pajamas for a brown skirt and red blouse, a pair of leggings underneath (just in case of perverts) and a fall-themed Mabel Sweater over her blouse. She rushed downstairs and ate breakfast, Mabel already in the living room waiting for her ride.

"You'll be riding with me, Kat, and Will to the fairgrounds," Mabel informed Pacifica. "Hurry up and eat."

"Who's Will?" Pacifica asked.

"My boyfriend. We've been together since summer, and he _loves_ me."

"How do you know?"

"Because he said so! He's a total gentleman, and no, we haven't gone that far yet. I told him he has to work for it."

"By being your chauffeur?"

"Among other things."

"Okay. I'm done."

As if on cue, a horn honked outside. Mabel grabbed Pacifica's hand and dragged her to Will's car. Kat was in the backseat, where Pacifica sat with her while Mabel got in the front seat and gave Will a hello kiss.

"Onwards, Aoshima!" Mabel joked. Will laughed and hit the gas. Pacifica and Kat clung to each other for dear life.

Upon reaching the fairgrounds, Kat and Pacifica released each other. Mabel and Will were still laughing in the front seat.

 _"They're_ **both** _insane!"_ Pacifica whispered to Kat.

 _"Just roll with it!"_ Kat hissed.

Inside, Mabel paid for their tickets and they turned to see Dipper writing in his journal.

"Oh! What a coincidence!" Mabel squealed, dragging Pacifica over to the bench where Dipper was sitting and shoving her into him. "Kat has to go work at her family's booth and I want alone time with Will, so you two will have to stick together."

"Mabel!" Dipper and Pacifica yelped at the same time.

"Bye-bye!" Kat ran towards the craft booths while Will and Mabel went towards the game area.

Dipper looked at Pacifica awkwardly. She looked adorable in her glasses and Mabel Sweater; he could feel his heart beating faster, much like it had with Wendy when he was younger. It was quickly getting just as awkward. He had to do something to diffuse the tension. But what?

"So, uh… do you wanna go on a ride?" he asked lamely.

"Sure. Which one?"

Phew! Situation diffused!

"How about the Tilt-a-Whirl?"

"I've never been on one, so it sounds fun."

"Really? You haven't?"

"Overprotective parents, remember?"

They both started laughing as they walked towards the Tilt-a-Whirl. Right before they got on, Dipper grabbed Pacifica's glasses and put them in the pocket of his cargo shorts which Velcroed shut.

"Hey!" she protested.

"Trust me. This thing spins too fast for your glasses to stay on and I don't think you want to lose them."

"Oh. Thanks."

Neither one noticed the glare coming from a certain brown-haired bitch in the crowd.

* * *

" _God_ , that haunted house was lame," Pacifica giggled as they stepped out of the attraction.

"I know, right?" Dipper snorted. "Especially after you've deal with a real ghost. I've tried to get them to let _me_ handle it, but no luck yet." They'd wandered into the game section of the Festival. Pacifica's eyes widened as they landed on something.

"Oh. My. God!" she squealed.

"What?" Dipper asked. She pointed towards the milk bottle game. Hanging on one of the prize hooks was a huge, fluffy-looking stuffed bear. It was light brown with big eyes and a smile stitched on its face.

"It's so cute! Let's try to win it!" She dragged him over to the booth and dug into her pocket.

"No, I've got this," Dipper told her, grabbing her wrist. "Just… stand behind me, okay?" She gave him an odd look but stood behind him anyway as he handed his money to the carny. "And a one, and a two, and a…"

The ball flew towards the milk bottles, hitting them but not knocking them over.

"Better luck next time, kid," the carny sneered. Pacifica looked confused as to why the milk bottles didn't fall.

Unbeknownst to the carny, however, Will and Mabel were currently _un_ rigging his game. Dipper spotted his sister who mouthed 'try again'.

"I'd like to try again, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead." He handed Dipper the ball again.

"And a one, and a two, and a…"

The teen threw the ball as hard as he could, knocking over the bottles this time. The carny stared in shock, his jaw hanging open as Pacifica clapped. The ball had bounced off the back of the booth and flew right towards where Pacifica would've been standing had Dipper _not_ told her to stay behind him.

"O-one prize from the h-hook," the carny stammered.

"I'll take the fluffy bear, please."

The carny handed Dipper the toy, which he then handed to Pacifica. She hugged it to her chest, a big smile on her face.

"Thank you, Dipper!" she squealed. "I love it!"

"You're welcome," he replied, a little blush on his face.

Mabel smiled at the two from her place inside the booth.

* * *

Forgetting that he'd only intended to stay an hour, Dipper spent the rest of the day hanging out with Pacifica. He was having fun with the blonde and didn't want to go home just yet. He ended up winning her a couple more stuffed animals—an owl and a pig. She carried the pig with her, to his surprise. They'd left the bear and the owl in his van so they could enjoy the rest of the Festival.

* * *

Towards the end of the day, Dipper left Pacifica by herself so he could get them something to eat from the food tents. She hugged the pig to her chest as she sat on a bench. She didn't hear anybody approaching until they were directly in front of her. Her heart pounded.

 _Bianca_.

"Well, hello, _Pacifica_ ," Bianca snarled, spitting out Pacifica's name as if it had a bad taste. She had her two sidekicks, as usual, leering at Pacifica.

"What do you want, Bianca?" Pacifica asked.

"I want to know why you _didn't_ listen to my warning, Miss Hick-From-The-Sticks."

"What warning?"

"To stay away from Dipper, obviously. You've been with him all day and that makes me _very, very_ unhappy. Do you know what happens when I'm unhappy?"

"No…"

"Whatever I'm unhappy with gets hurt, and in this case, it's _you_." Bianca stepped forward and pulled back a fist while her cronies held Pacifica back. The poor girl struggled as Bianca's fist hit her square in the eye. She cried out, squeezing her eyes shut as Bianca pulled back her fist again.

This time, the punch didn't make contact.

Pacifica opened her eyes to see Dipper holding Bianca's fist. She had a look of shock on her face, her lips moving but no sound coming out. The girls holding Pacifica's arms released their grip and ran off, leaving their leader at Dipper's mercy.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" he growled, releasing her hand.

"I… she insulted me!" Bianca sputtered. "I was just defending myself!"

"Yeah, I'm _sure_ that's why your friends were holding her back. I'm a fairly nice guy, Bianca, but I _don't. Like. Liars._ "

"I-I'm not lying!"

"Sure you're not." He picked the pig up, dusted it off, and handed it back to Pacifica. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put some ice on Pacifica's eye before it swells up too badly. C'mon, Paz."

He took her hand and led her to the food tents, where he'd found a burger stand. The girl working there (her nametag said Tabitha) took one look at Pacifica and immediately put some ice in a bag, wrapping a dishtowel around it. She handed it to Dipper, who pressed it to Pacifica's injured eye.

"I've got it," Pacifica assured him. "How about you order us dinner? I want a burger with the works."

"Sure."

They sat at a picnic table, Pacifica eating her burger with one hand while applying the compress to her eye with the other.

"So, what _really_ happened?" he inquired, giving her a worried look. "I know you wouldn't insult someone like that, at least not now. You can tell me." Pacifica sighed.

"She's been like that to me since my first day in Piedmont. She made fun of me because of my appearance and shoved me into a bush when she saw you coming. On the first day of school, she threatened me because you drove me to school and she _wants_ you, saying you're hers and she's marked you. I told her you didn't belong to anyone and she's been a royal pain in the ass to me ever since but… today, she came up to me and… well… basically, she was unhappy that you spent today with me and punched me because of it. I'm sorry."

"No, no!" he stammered. "It's not your fault! God… _I'm_ the one who should be sorry."

"What for?"

"I'm the reason she's bugging you at all."

"She's how I used to be, you know?" Pacifica's voice was quiet. "People like that… they think they can get away with everything. She would've treated me like that regardless of whether or not you were in the picture. I'm just sorry you had to see it." A tear rolled down her unobstructed cheek. She reached up to wipe it away and Dipper took her hand.

"No, I'm _glad_ I saw it. I knew something was off about her, but I didn't know what until today. I'm sorry you got hurt and I was too slow to stop the first punch."

Pacifica swallowed. She gave him a smile.

"Thank you for stopping the second one. You're my hero." They sat for a minute while she checked her eye. "It's not too bad. She didn't really hit me that hard, so I don't need the ice anymore." They brought the ice back to Tabitha, who put it in the freezer of the burger stand. "We have a little bit of time left. What do you want to do?"

"There's a Ferris wheel, if you want to go on it."

"Sure."

They headed over to the Ferris wheel. The sun had set, making it pretty dark as they got on. Pacifica bit her lip as Dipper looked out at the view. They were sitting in silence until they were almost at the top.

"Hey, um, Dipper?" Pacifica murmured.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I… I… I kinda… like you."

 _Thank God it's dark, or he'd see how hard I'm blushing…_

"R-really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Well, that's good, because I… kinda like you, too."

"You do?!"

"I have ever since you stood up to your parents when we were twelve."

"I liked you from when we trapped the ghost the first time."

"Wow…"

The car stopped as it reached the top. Pacifica yelped at the sudden halt and fell into Dipper's lap. They laughed as she sat down across from him, leaning closer, and closer…

Fireworks went off as their lips met. Literally, since the scheduled fireworks show started.

"First kiss," she chuckled nervously as they pulled apart.

"Second, but don't ask about the first."

"Why—"

"Just… no."

They got off the Ferris wheel after kissing a couple more times, at which point they headed to the craft section, where Mabel, Will, and Kat were waiting, holding hands. Mabel took one look at their joined hands and screamed in joy.

"IT WORKED! SEE, KAT, I TOLD YOU!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in, Mabel Syrup." Kat hid her smile behind her hand, but frowned when she saw Pacifica's eye. "What happened to your eye, Pacific Northwest?"

"Bianca," Dipper and Pacifica replied in unison.

"Well, we hopefully won't have to deal with _her_ anymore!" Mabel chirped. She snapped a picture of Dipper and Pacifica. "That's going in the scrapbook!"

On the way home, Pacifica couldn't help but smile down at her new stuffed animals.

Or up at her boyfriend.

She couldn't have been happier.

* * *

 **Okay, guys! That's it for this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long; my life sucks and my computer loses files all the time…**

 **Anyway, leave a suggestion for the next chapter! Still no lemons, please; I won't be taking those for a while.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
